Slightly Damp
by HardfacedQueenofMisadventure
Summary: Alice and Hatter get caught in the rain. Big time. Just a little bit of fluff to start the weekend.


**So, I got caught in the rain today and my slightly waterlogged brain gave me this…**

There were many things that Hatter found himself enjoying about Alice's world. Rain was most certainly not one of them.  
>The afternoon had started reasonably enough. A few greyish clouds here and there, a slight hint of damp in the air, but nothing that would take the enjoyment out of their day together. It was only after lunch that things had taken a turn for the worse. Huge, almost black clouds had rolled in, blotting out the sun. Alice had been hopeful that they'd make it home in time to avoid the worst of the rain. The first drop had seemed like a joke, a tease, especially after what she'd said. The second, maybe a harbinger of something more sinister. The next thing they both knew, water was pouring from the sky with almost venomous force.<p>

And now, they were running for it down the road, absolutely unprepared for the sudden turn. Neither one of them wore more than a light jacket, and within moments, they were both soaked to the skin.

"Wow," Hatter murmured, gazing up at a sky the colour of gunmetal whilst inelegantly dodging a puddle.

"What's the matter?" Alice returned, slightly breathless. "Didn't it ever rain in Wonderland?" There was humour in her tone, a warm edge that reminded him just what he loved about her. Her spark; the fire inside her that set her apart from the other not entirely unattractive but completely emotionless young women he'd had the pleasure of knowing back at home.

"Not like this, no." They both laughed; that slightly dizzy, desperate laugh that comes when you're soaked to the skin and in dire need of a hot shower and a cup of tea. Then it happened, so quickly that even if Hatter had thought to warn her, he wouldn't have had the time.  
>A car sped past, directly through a huge puddle of grimy water that had collected at the side of the road. Alice saw it coming, and threw up her arms in a futile bid to fend off the impending disaster. A greyish arc of water cascaded down over her, drenching her head to foot, and she froze where she stood, still locked in that comical pose, arms half-shielding her face.<br>Hatter ground to a halt, staring at her, both wanting to laugh and desperately fighting the urge to do so. The look on her face was one of shocked disbelief: mouth slightly open as beads of rainwater slid down her cheeks and nose. Her raven black hair was dripping, clinging to the sides of her face and her neck. Her clothes were drenched and clinging. It was an image he found strangely funny, yet he knew laughing would be a very bad thing. Mostly because he knew she'd probably slap him one if he did. She turned, very slowly, and in her then he could see the Oyster he'd met at the tea shop. Okay, so the outfit she wore today wasn't exactly the pretty blue dress he adored so much, but still… She stood before him, a complete reflection of herself, shivering, wet, but determined. Defiant.  
>God, he loved her.<p>

"Oh," was all he managed to say. The faintest hint of a smile twitched at the corners of her mouth, and she pushed sodden black hair off of her forehead. There was a split-second of silence, during which a single, solitary drop of water rolled off of the tip of her nose. Then she did the one thing he'd been longing to do. She laughed; true, jubilant, delightfully infectious laughter. He put a gentle arm around her wet shoulders, fighting hard not to crack up utterly.

"Come on," he gasped as she continued giggling helplessly. "Let's get home before we both drown."

They were still laughing madly as they reached the door to their apartment.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: this actually happened to me today, except I didn't have a lovely Hatter with me to make me feel better about it. This was written completely on a whim, so be nice. It's also my first foray into Alice fanfic, but more may follow in the future! If you have anything specific you want to see: oneshots like this one, or even a fully-fledged story, please let me know in a review. Other feedback would be amazingly helpful too, but if you feel like flaming, just don't, 'kay? **


End file.
